Car rental Brussels
By getting a car hire in Brussels, you can visit all of the best places when you’re there. Find out about all the nearby attractions in the city. That’s easy if you choose a car rental option during your stay. Read on to learn what options might be available if you’re thinking about renting a vehicle in the city.
Brussels Guide
With over 170,000 people living in Brussels, the capital city of Belgium, you’ll find lots of things to see. Belgium is located next to countries such as Germany and Luxembourg. Brussels has become a highly popular holiday destination. Reports say that in 2019, there were over 9 million overnight stays in the year. The destination has become very popular for its food, like chocolate and cheese, and its landmarks, with thousands of tourists visiting every year.
Roughly 43 km away from Brussels, you’ll find Antwerp, another city in Belgium you can visit. It’s about an hour’s drive, with lots to see and do while you’re there. You can take a day trip to the Antwerpen Zoo, that was set up back in 1843. Go and see Belgium’s biggest Gothic church, known as the Cathedral of our Lady. In Antwerp, you can find tonnes of architectural beauties that you can access by car.
36 miles, or 57 km, from Brussels you can find Gent, or Ghent. Located in the northwest of Brussels, in the Flemish part of the country, it’s a port destination, from where you can get to lots of nearby cities. Over time, it’s become well-known for its luxury cloth-making industry. Go to the opera house, or visit one of the museums. For more architecture and history, see the castle and moat, that was built back in the 10th century.
Located right in the south suburban parts of Brussels is Ixelles. It has a lot of cultural points to see and experience, like the ‘Flagey building’. It’s also known as the ‘yellow boat’ because of the way it’s designed and how it looks. When it was first built, it was going to be used as part of the radio industry. You can book a guided tour to learn more about the history of the site.
Explore with your rental car
You can drive around Brussels to take in the sights and visit the best places as well. The “Grand Place” is right in the central square of the destination. It should take around 30 minutes to drive to the tourist spot from the airport, roughly 15 km. It’s quite a beautiful place to visit, especially in the evening to see it lit up. You’ll also find that some of the streets nearby are named after foods, like cheese.
Roughly 19 minutes, or 16 km away, from Brussels airport is another attraction. Mini Europe is an adventure park that’s popular for tourists enjoying themselves. The idea is to see all of Europe on your visit, by doing a whistle-stop tour of it. From London and Big Ben, through France and other European countries, you can see 350 models and statues that are all linked to Europe. There’s also a mini game centre too.
Finally, drive to the Atomium, in Brussels. Built in the 1950s, it was originally designed as a mark of celebration for the metals industry. It’s 102 metres tall and is very popular among tourists. A 15-minute drive from the airport, it’s roughly 9 miles to travel by car.
Airports
If you’re going to be travelling to Brussels as a holiday destination, you’ll find that there are two airports to choose from. The first is the Zaventem airport. Tourists tend to visit Antwerp, Charleroi and Gent when travelling here. You can use Europcar, which is available at the airport for a car rental.
The other airport is the Charleroi airport, 35 miles away from Brussels. There are a few options for car hire at this airport, including Avis and Hertz. People sometimes travel to Gosselies from Charleroi airport, which is less than 5 km drive away. There are a few historical sites to see in Gosselies too.
People often visit the town of Zaventem by car, when travelling to Brussels since Brussel is just 20 minutes from Zaventem. You can make use of rental services like Sixt, InterRent and Budget car for your car hire needs right from Zaventem airport, whether you’re on business or pleasure.
Traffic
The speed limits on the motorways in Brussels is 120kph (74mph). In built-up areas, it can be 50kph (31mph), and in residential areas, you’ll find it’s 20kph (13mph). There isn’t an option for free parking in the city centre of Brussels. Lots of people tend to use BePark and other systems instead, where you can reserve a parking space.
The quality of the roads in Brussels can be of poor quality. It’s been reported that Belgium has a high level of traffic too, possibly because many people depend on their car, rather than using the bus or other public transport. That said, Brussels is definitely worth a car hire to enjoy the tourism that’s on offer.